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Name: AKA
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Canada License.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Being Ramadan, the month of fasting, Muslims like myself get up early before dawn and have an even earlier meal. It's always hard to stomach this meal because most of the time we're half-asleep and eager to eat, pray and get back into our warm beds. Though as I've grown older, I've come to appreciate this pre-dawn tradition more, it still makes for a quick and small meal, despite the fact that this meal is to tide us over until sunset when we break our fast. Normally, I have no problem - no pangs of hunger or urges to stuff a candy bar down my throat. My routine consists of cereal and maybe a slice of toast in the morning and then dinner in the evening.
Today was different. Today was the day I decided to give myself a small treat for studying so hard, and to sympathize with myself over the fact that this is my first Ramadan away from my family so I'm alone in the mornings. This treat was pancakes.
Like I said, normally, I can barely understand what I'm putting in my mouth let alone actually make it (Mom was always great for that). But it was 4am and I had trouble sleeping and hadn't eaten much the evening before, so I thought I'd get up to make myself some pancakes, go back to sleep, and wake up for pre-dawn prayers.
It started out well, seeing as how the kitchen is still unchartered territory for me. I got out my (pre-mixed) batter, added my egg amd milk, mixed, and heated up my non-stick pan. First pankcake came out almost-perfectly round, well-cooked on both sides and just the right size. I'd say and 8/10 - a valiant effort.
Once I put the pancake into my plate I turned my attention to the still-sealed bottle of maple-syrup my mom sent up with me to Michigan. All the while the gas stove was still on (low heat) to keep the pan warm for my second pancake.
Then it happened.
The most high-pitched, shrill, wake-up-the-dead-loud, wailing from the smoke-detector by the kitchen.
I froze. Then, "OhmygodohmygodohmygodOHMYGOD!!!!"
I whipped around back to the stove, twisted the knob to turn off the heat, moved the pan off the burner and flipped on the switch for the overhead fan. It started whirring at once, but the siren kept going. I could hear it sound on the bottom floor through my intercom (I'm on the 7th floor mind you). I was sure it was going off on every floor.
I ran around frantically trying to open windows and fan the air away from the smoke detector. I opened and closed the front door a few times to get the smoke out.
"Shut up. Oh God help me - why won't it SHUT UP!?!?!". Thoughts of an angry mob storming down the hall towards me in my apartment flooded my mind. What if the super comes up here? What if someone calls the fire department?! My apartment is a mess! At the last thought I began scooping up things on the floor and throwing them into the closet.
I was so getting kicked out. I'd have to live in my car. People won't hold the elevator for me. I will get dirty looks forever when I go to get my mail. "There goes the idiot who set off the alarm at 4 IN THE MORNING" they'd say.
What would I say back? Sorry I can't use a stove? Sorry I wanted pancakes? Who the hell thought I could live on my own!?!?! What am I --
It stopped.
As quickly as it hard started the piercing sound stopped. Still clutching a spatula in my hand I stopped moving, for fear I'd set it off again. Then, I waited.
1 minute rolls by. No neighbours come to the door.
5 minutes - no phone calls.
15 minutes - no fire engine sirens, no super.
Nothing. Relief. Thank you God. I sank into a nearby chair and shut my eyes. Due to shock over the incident I had lost all remaining appetite and left the pancake and remaining batter on the kitchen counter.
Then my eyes popped open. Heyyyy...what if I was really in trouble? Would no one come? How long would I have to wait before someone bothered to check what happened to the poor girl on the 7th floor at 4am!? What kind of selfish, uncaring neighbours did I have! Was the building full of heavy sleepers? Well, next time they set off the smoke detector, I'm not doing anything until they pry me away from my apartment. Hmph.
(on a completely sidetracked note, I now understand what a couple people told me about the blog being too wide - I think it has something to do with Firefox settings because I've now started using it instead of IE, where it was always fine. I've tried messing around with the settings but got nowhere, so if anyone knows how to set up the html so you don't have to scroll to see the sidebars, please let me know? Thanks.)
Today was different. Today was the day I decided to give myself a small treat for studying so hard, and to sympathize with myself over the fact that this is my first Ramadan away from my family so I'm alone in the mornings. This treat was pancakes.
Like I said, normally, I can barely understand what I'm putting in my mouth let alone actually make it (Mom was always great for that). But it was 4am and I had trouble sleeping and hadn't eaten much the evening before, so I thought I'd get up to make myself some pancakes, go back to sleep, and wake up for pre-dawn prayers.
It started out well, seeing as how the kitchen is still unchartered territory for me. I got out my (pre-mixed) batter, added my egg amd milk, mixed, and heated up my non-stick pan. First pankcake came out almost-perfectly round, well-cooked on both sides and just the right size. I'd say and 8/10 - a valiant effort.
Once I put the pancake into my plate I turned my attention to the still-sealed bottle of maple-syrup my mom sent up with me to Michigan. All the while the gas stove was still on (low heat) to keep the pan warm for my second pancake.
Then it happened.
The most high-pitched, shrill, wake-up-the-dead-loud, wailing from the smoke-detector by the kitchen.
I froze. Then, "OhmygodohmygodohmygodOHMYGOD!!!!"
I whipped around back to the stove, twisted the knob to turn off the heat, moved the pan off the burner and flipped on the switch for the overhead fan. It started whirring at once, but the siren kept going. I could hear it sound on the bottom floor through my intercom (I'm on the 7th floor mind you). I was sure it was going off on every floor.
I ran around frantically trying to open windows and fan the air away from the smoke detector. I opened and closed the front door a few times to get the smoke out.
"Shut up. Oh God help me - why won't it SHUT UP!?!?!". Thoughts of an angry mob storming down the hall towards me in my apartment flooded my mind. What if the super comes up here? What if someone calls the fire department?! My apartment is a mess! At the last thought I began scooping up things on the floor and throwing them into the closet.
I was so getting kicked out. I'd have to live in my car. People won't hold the elevator for me. I will get dirty looks forever when I go to get my mail. "There goes the idiot who set off the alarm at 4 IN THE MORNING" they'd say.
What would I say back? Sorry I can't use a stove? Sorry I wanted pancakes? Who the hell thought I could live on my own!?!?! What am I --
It stopped.
As quickly as it hard started the piercing sound stopped. Still clutching a spatula in my hand I stopped moving, for fear I'd set it off again. Then, I waited.
1 minute rolls by. No neighbours come to the door.
5 minutes - no phone calls.
15 minutes - no fire engine sirens, no super.
Nothing. Relief. Thank you God. I sank into a nearby chair and shut my eyes. Due to shock over the incident I had lost all remaining appetite and left the pancake and remaining batter on the kitchen counter.
Then my eyes popped open. Heyyyy...what if I was really in trouble? Would no one come? How long would I have to wait before someone bothered to check what happened to the poor girl on the 7th floor at 4am!? What kind of selfish, uncaring neighbours did I have! Was the building full of heavy sleepers? Well, next time they set off the smoke detector, I'm not doing anything until they pry me away from my apartment. Hmph.
(on a completely sidetracked note, I now understand what a couple people told me about the blog being too wide - I think it has something to do with Firefox settings because I've now started using it instead of IE, where it was always fine. I've tried messing around with the settings but got nowhere, so if anyone knows how to set up the html so you don't have to scroll to see the sidebars, please let me know? Thanks.)
14 Comments:
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Ramadan Mubrarak!
Hahahaa you are too funny! And yeah, apartment smoke detectors are crazy sensitive. Awww bechari, u didn't even get to enjoy ur first perfectly round pancake :(
Rehan: You rock. No, seriously. I'd been driving myself nuts wondering why it showed up like that and I just thought it was because of the browser, since I switched the same day. I started messing around with all the html codes thinking it was that. It's always the simple thing! THANKS!
Sarah: Unless you willing to send me food, it's down to cereal again. I think it'll be awhile before I attempt pancakes again.
When!?
HOW!!
Do I have time to come to Melbourne for this (to see you of course :P)?? Lee-Ann you're henceforth known as "The Luckiest Girl I Know". You're sending me any pictures you take right??? Tell him I love him please? But in a non-fanatical-stalker way of course :D
The closes thing I'm getting to a celebrity is that I'm going to see Wentworth Miller's (the main character on the show "Prison Break") dad next month. Wanna switch!?!?
Hana
Ramandan Mubarak!
Since when does my brother visit your blog?!?!? Stay away!!!
There's nothing wrong with you reading my blog, in fact I'm flattered. I just never expected it. And it shows up my brother which is cool.